HASA Architects has transformed the first floor of a five-storey Georgian terrace in
London’s Mayfair to create a distinctive and elegant new home for a private
client.
Photography: © Simone Bossi
The contemporary design updates and modernises the property while
respecting the original character and design intent of the Grade II listed
building. The restrained design focuses on space and light while a series of
sensitive insertions combine with a carefully selected material palette to
create distinct new spaces alongside the original features of the property.
HASA
Architects have responded positively to the limitations of the listed building,
taking cues from the fabric and layout to inform and enrich the design,
ensuring that old and new co-exist peacefully. Months
of intricate work involved the removal of years’ worth of paint and the
restoration of the original mouldings and dentilled cornices.
‘We wanted to create a new layer through a series of freestanding
volumes that could be reversed with minimal alteration to the existing building
fabric. The architectural details have been meticulously restored to reveal the
quality of craftsmanship while the new layout allows the original proportions
of these fine rooms to be experienced as intended.’ said the team. HASA
Architects was founded by Charlotte Harris and Mark Stevens in 2015.
Restoration
of the original marble surrounds was undertaken to remove the stains that had
resulted through decades of smoke damage and neglect, the timber surround was
repaired and cleaned to reveal the simple ornate moulding.
Insensitive additions have
been removed and the principal floor, or piano nobile, has been expertly
repaired to reveal its original proportion, structure and dignity.
Careful
attention was paid to the distances and junctions between the historic and
contemporary layers to ensure old and new quietly co-exist and complement each
other both visually and programmatically.
It was
important that the programme did not dominate the space. This is successfully
achieved through the design’s use of minimal interventions in the form of
freestanding joinery, panelling, and sliding and folding planes. These new
insertions, along with the alterations, can be clearly read as a new layer that
respects the Grade II listed building while enhancing light and spaciousness.
The new
mezzanine floor, housing the master bedroom, has been lined with solid American
oil-finished white oak with the soffit in a polished plaster. The choice of
materials breaks down the mass of the structure itself while the steel plate
wall that encloses the staircase ‘anchors’ the mezzanine to the ground floor.
The colour and material palette is purposefully pared-down to
create a harmonious and soothing environment that focuses on space and light to
bring the property to life.
The new
stair with its steel wall forms the dramatic centrepiece to the property. The clever
design dealt with the narrowness of the existing stairwell by extending
entrances to the stairs at either end in plate steel resulting in a sculptural
blade-like insertion. This interweaving of old and new is further enhanced by
the dark matt of the steel against the neutral tones
of the original plasterwork and mouldings.
The new dressing room/en suite is hidden behind
a concealed door. A simple black volume, lined in sycamore veneer and finished
in a high lacquered gloss, has been used to separate the spaces while providing
a contrast with the limestone panels to create a more intimate feel.
The
master en suite on the mezzanine floor features a huge sculptural stone basin.
The carved basin forms the centrepiece of room, acting as a dividing element
within the space.
An Arabescato marble
island is at the heart of the kitchen. Conceived as a solid block, it
creates a space to cook, entertain and relax. Its domestic scale also offers
subtle relief to the grand floor to ceiling heights of the hallway and front
drawing room. A series of sculptural boxes have been designed to provide
storage for services and appliances. Set away from the walls and above the
skirting, the boxes allow for architectural details to remain uninterrupted and
pass through the cabinets without being adapted or altered.
Careful
attention was paid to the distances and junctions between the historic and
contemporary layers to ensure old and new quietly co-exist and complement each
other both visually and programmatically.
Materials, finishes and lighting combine
to breathe new life into the listed property. High gloss sycamore veneer panelling, natural oak flooring,
Venetian plaster and Arabescato marble
have all been chosen to help create contemporary, elegant spaces.
Source: HASA Architects
